About Maredudd ap Bleddyn, Brenin of Powys

MAREDUDD ap Bleddyn, son of BLEDDYN ap Cynfyn King of Gwynedd and Powys & his third wife Haer of Gest (-1132). He succeeded his father in 1075 as MAREDUDD Prince of Powys. The Annales Cambriæ record the death in 1132 of "Maredut filius Bledint dux Powisorum"[145].

1. MADOG ap Maredudd (-1161). He succeeded his father in 1132 as Prince of Powys. The Annales Cambriæ record the death in 1161 of "Madoc filius Maredut Powysorum princeps"[146]. m SUSANN of Gwynedd, daughter of GRUFFYDD ap Cynan King of Gwynedd & his wife Angharad of Deheubarth. Madog & his wife had four children:

2. GRUFFYDD (-1128). Lord of Mawddy. The Annales Cambriæ record the death in 1128 of "Grifinus filius Meredut"[148]. m GWERFYL, daughter and heiress of GWRGENO ap Hywel Lord of Caer or Clydewen & his wife ---. Gruffydd & his wife had two children:

Maredudd ap Bleddyn (died 1132) was a prince of Powys in eastern Wales.

Maredudd was the son of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn who was king of both Powys and Gwynedd. When Bleddyn was killed in 1075, Powys was divided between his three of his sons, Iorwerth, Cadwgan and Maredudd.

Maredudd initially appears to have been the least powerful and the least mentioned in the chronicles. The three brothers held their lands as vassals of Robert of Bellême, 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury. In 1102 the Earl was summoned to answer charges at the court of King Henry I of England and responded by rising in rebellion against the king. All three brothers initially supported Robert and took up arms on his behalf, pillaging Staffordshire. The king deputed William Pantulf to detach Iorwerth, who was considered to be the most powerful of the three brothers, from his alliance with Robert and his own brothers by the promise of large gifts of land. William succeeded in this, and Iorwerth, after leading a large Welsh force to help the king defeat and banish Earl Robert, then captured his brother Maredudd and handed him over to the king.

Maredudd escaped from captivity in 1107 but did not gain any real power. In 1113 he was apparently acting as penteulu or captain of the guard to his nephew, Owain ap Cadwgan who had taken over as prince of Powys. In this capacity in 1113 Maredudd was able to capture Madog ap Rhiryd, who had killed two of his brothers, Iorwerth and Cadwgan in 1111. Maredudd sent him to Owain, who took vengeance for the killing of his father by blinding Madog.

In 1114 when King Henry I of England invaded Wales, Maredudd quickly made his peace with him, while Owain allied himself with Gruffydd ap Cynan of Gwynedd to oppose the invasion. It was not until Owain was killed in 1116 that Maredudd began to strengthen his position and became ruler of Powys. In 1116 he is recorded as sending 400 men to help Hywel ab Ithel, who ruled Rhos and Rhufoniog under the protection of Powys, against his neighbours, the sons of Owain ab Edwin of Dyffryn Clwyd. Hywel won a victory at the battle of Maes Maen Cymro, near Ruthin, but received wounds of which he died six weeks later. This enabled the sons of Gruffydd ap Cynan to annex these lands for Gwynedd, with Maredudd unable to prevent them.

In 1121 Maredudd carried out raids on Cheshire which provoked King Henry into invading Powys. Maredudd retreated into Snowdonia and asked Gruffydd ap Cynan for assistance. However Gruffydd was in no mood to defy the king on Maredudd's behalf, and Maredudd had to purchase peace at a cost of a fine of 10,000 head of cattle. Gwynedd continued to put pressure on Powys, with the sons of Gruffydd ap Cynan, Cadwallon and Owain Gwynedd annexing more territory in 1124. Cadwallon was killed in a battle with the men of Powys near Llangollen in 1132 which put a halt to further encroachment for the time being. Maredudd did not take part in this battle and died the same year, remembered by the annalist of Brut y Tywysogion as the beauty and safety of all Powys and her defender. He was succeeded by his son, Madog ap Maredudd.

References

* John Edward Lloyd (1911). A history of Wales: from the earliest times to the Edwardian conquest. Longmans, Green & Co.

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Maredudd ap Bleddyn

born about 1047 Montgomeryshire, Wales died 1124/29

father:

Bleddyn ap Cynfyn

born about 1025 Montgomeryshire, Wales died 1075

mother:

Haer verch Cillin

born about 1025 Gest, Dolbenmaen, Caernarvonshire, Wales married about 1044 Wales

Maredudd ap Bleddyn From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Maredudd ap Bleddyn (died 1132) was a prince of Powys in eastern Wales. Maredudd was the son of Bleddyn ap Cynfyn who was king of both Powys and Gwynedd. When Bleddyn was killed in 1075, Powys was divided between his three of his sons, Iorwerth, Cadwgan and Maredudd. Maredudd initially appears to have been the least powerful and the least mentioned in the chronicles. The three brothers held their lands as vassals of Robert of Bellême, 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury. In 1102 the Earl was summoned to answer charges at the court of King Henry I of England and responded by rising in rebellion against the king. All three brothers initially supported Robert and took up arms on his behalf, pillaging Staffordshire. The king deputed William Pantulf to detach Iorwerth, who was considered to be the most powerful of the three brothers, from his alliance with Robert and his own brothers by the promise of large gifts of land. William succeeded in this, and Iorwerth, after leading a large Welsh force to help the king defeat and banish Earl Robert, then captured his brother Maredudd and handed him over to the king. Maredudd escaped from captivity in 1107 but did not gain any real power. In 1113 he was apparently acting as penteulu or captain of the guard to his nephew, Owain ap Cadwgan who had taken over as prince of Powys. In this capacity in 1113 Maredudd was able to capture Madog ap Rhiryd, who had killed two of his brothers, Iorwerth and Cadwgan in 1111. Maredudd sent him to Owain, who took vengeance for the killing of his father by blinding Madog. In 1114 when King Henry I of England invaded Wales, Maredudd quickly made his peace with him, while Owain allied himself with Gruffydd ap Cynan of Gwynedd to oppose the invasion. It was not until Owain was killed in 1116 that Maredudd began to strengthen his position and became ruler of Powys. In 1116 he is recorded as sending 400 men to help Hywel ab Ithel, who ruled Rhos and Rhufoniog under the protection of Powys, against his neighbours, the sons of Owain ab Edwin of Dyffryn Clwyd. Hywel won a victory at the battle of Maes Maen Cymro, near Ruthin, but received wounds of which he died six weeks later. This enabled the sons of Gruffydd ap Cynan to annex these lands for Gwynedd, with Maredudd unable to prevent them. In 1121 Maredudd carried out raids on Cheshire which provoked King Henry into invading Powys. Maredudd retreated into Snowdonia and asked Gruffydd ap Cynan for assistance. However Gruffydd was in no mood to defy the king on Maredudd's behalf, and Maredudd had to purchase peace at a cost of a fine of 10,000 head of cattle. Gwynedd continued to put pressure on Powys, with the sons of Gruffydd ap Cynan, Cadwallon and Owain Gwynedd annexing more territory in 1124. Cadwallon was killed in a battle with the men of Powys near Llangollen in 1132 which put a halt to further encroachment for the time being. Maredudd did not take part in this battle and died the same year, remembered by the annalist of Brut y Tywysogion as the beauty and safety of all Powys and her defender. He was succeeded by his son, Madog ap Maredudd. [edit]References

John Edward Lloyd (1911). A history of Wales: from the earliest times to the Edwardian conquest. Longmans, Green & Co.

-------------------- Maredudd ap Bleddyn was a prince of Powys in eastern Wales. When his father died, Powys was divided between his three of his sons, Iorwerth, Cadwgan and Maredudd.

Maredudd initially appears to have been the least powerful and the least mentioned in the chronicles. The three brothers held their lands as vassals of Robert of Bellême, 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury. In 1102 the Earl was summoned to answer charges at the court of King Henry I of England and responded by rising in rebellion against the king. All three brothers initially supported Robert and took up arms on his behalf, pillaging Staffordshire. The King deputed William Pantulf to detach Iorwerth, who was considered to be the most powerful of the three brothers, from his alliance with Robert and his own brothers by the promise of large gifts of land. William succeeded in this, and Iorwerth, after leading a large Welsh force to help the king defeat and banish Earl Robert, then captured his brother Maredudd and handed him over to the King.

Maredudd escaped from captivity in 1107 but did not gain any real power. In 1113 he was apparently acting as captain of the guard to his nephew, Owain ap Cadwgan, who had taken over as Prince of Powys. In this capacity in 1113 Maredudd was able to capture Madog ap Rhiryd, who had killed two of his brothers, Iorwerth and Cadwgan in 1111. Maredudd sent him to Owain, who took vengeance for the killing of his father by blinding Madog.

In 1114 when King Henry I of England invaded Wales, Maredudd quickly made his peace with him, while Owain allied himself with Gruffydd ap Cynan of Gwynedd to oppose the invasion. It was not until Owain was killed in 1116 that Maredudd began to strengthen his position and became ruler of Powys. In 1116 he is recorded as sending 400 men to help Hywel ab Ithel, who ruled Rhos and Rhufoniog under the protection of Powys, against his neighbors, the sons of Owain ab Edwin of Dyffryn Clwyd. Hywel won a victory at the battle of Maes Maen Cymro, near Ruthin, but received wounds of which he died six weeks later. This enabled the sons of Gruffydd ap Cynan to annex these lands for Gwynedd, with Maredudd unable to prevent them.

In 1121 Maredudd carried out raids on Cheshire which provoked King Henry into invading Powys. Maredudd retreated into Snowdonia and asked Gruffydd ap Cynan for assistance. However Gruffydd was in no mood to defy the king on Maredudd's behalf, and Maredudd had to purchase peace at a cost of a fine of 10,000 head of cattle. Gwynedd continued to put pressure on Powys, with the sons of Gruffydd ap Cynan, Cadwallon and Owain Gwynedd annexing more territory in 1124. Cadwallon was killed in a battle with the men of Powys near Llangollen in 1132 which put a halt to further encroachment for the time being. Maredudd did not take part in this battle and died the same year, remembered by the annalist of Brut y Tywysogion as the beauty and safety of all Powys and her defender.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maredudd_ap_Bleddyn for more information. -------------------- I have been researching Uctred through existing literature - British History Online records his owning 17 manors pre Norman Conquest. In sources, he is alternately described as a Danish-Saxon landowner or possibly? a descendant of the Earls of Northumberland. This would give family links to Ethelred the Second and thus, back further, to King Alfred. It seems though unlikely to prove and therefore conjecture. --------------------

-12653-Welsh Medieval Database

Brenin=Monarch (In Wales , until the middle of the 12th century-this can be misleading, and can mean chief or high one, and Arglwydd meaning Lord or Master.)

LIVING: 1101-Maredudd was betrayed into the hands of Henry 1, Beauclërc",King of England, by the treachery of his brother, Iorwerth "Goch" Source: Lloyd, History of the Princes etc-vol 1-page 92 1105-After having been imprisoned by by Henry 1, for 4 years, he escaped and regained possession of Powys. Source: Lloyd, History of the Princes etc, vol1-page 100. 1110-Maredudd gave Madog ap Rhirid to Owain ap Cadwgan, who pulled out his eyes & set him at liberty. Source: Lloyd, History of the Princes etc., vol1 -page 102 Wikipedia states that the blinding was revenge for the killing of his father. KINSHIP CONFLICT: Griffith'sPedigrees of Anglesey and Caernarvanshire Families', page 216,gives him a daughter, Jane, by his wife Efa ferch Bledrus. Griffith's Pedigrees etc.,page 392, gives him 4 illegitimate sons named Hywel, Gwilym,Cadwgon & Adda. Lloyds, History of the Princes etc.Vol1-page 108, gives him 3 illegitimate sons, Hywel, Cadwgon & Maredudd. It also gives him a daughter, Jane, who married Iorwerth ap Trahaearn, Lord of Cydewen. Page 110 gives him 3 illegitimate sons, Hywel, Cadwgon & adda. MARRIAGE: Griffith's Pedigrees etc.page 284, gives him as wife, Annes ferch Rhydderch ap Rhys ap Tewdwr (Mawr) REIGN: Griffith's, Pedigrees etc.,page 331, states Prince of Powys,1105-1130